20+ Out of Office Reply Examples for Every Situation 2025

Part 1. What Is an Out of Office Message

An out-of-office message is an automated email reply that informs senders of your temporary unavailability. It helps manage expectations, ensuring colleagues and clients know when they can expect a response.

These messages are commonly used for vacations, business trips, or personal leave. A well-crafted out of office reply example includes key details like your return date and alternative contacts for urgent matters. Setting up an out-of-office message maintains professionalism and ensures smooth communication while you're away.

Essential Elements of an Effective Out of Office Message

A well-structured out of office reply example ensures clarity and professionalism while keeping communication seamless. Here are the key elements:

• Clear Dates and Times: Specify the start and end of your absence to manage expectations.
• Reason for Absence (Optional): Briefly mention if you are on leave, attending a conference, or traveling for business.
• Alternative Contact Information: Provide a colleague’s contact or a support email for urgent matters.
• Expected Response Time: Indicate when the sender can expect a reply.
• Helpful Resources (Optional): Direct senders to FAQs, customer support, or other relevant links.
• Appropriate Tone and Professionalism: Make sure the message aligns with your company culture, whether formal or casual.

Part 2. 10 Professional Out of Office Reply Examples

A well-crafted outlook out of office message ensures smooth communication while you’re away. Below are templates for different situations.

1. General Template (For Any Situation)

Subject: Out of Office – Limited Availability

Hello,

Thank you for your email. I am currently out of the office from [Start Date] to [End Date] and will have limited access to emails. I will respond as soon as possible upon my return.

For urgent matters, please contact [Colleague’s Name] at [Colleague’s Email].

Best regards, [Your Name]

2. Meeting/Business Travel Template

Subject: Out of Office – Business Travel

Hello,

I am currently traveling for business from [Start Date] to [End Date] and may have limited access to emails. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

For immediate assistance, please contact [Colleague’s Name] at [Colleague’s Email] or [Phone Number].

Best, [Your Name]

3. Sick Leave Template

Subject: Out of Office – Sick Leave

Hi,

I am currently on sick leave and unavailable until [Return Date]. I appreciate your patience and will respond to emails upon my return.

For urgent concerns, please reach out to [Colleague’s Name] at [Colleague’s Email].

Thank you, [Your Name]

4. Outlook Setup Example

Subject: Automatic Reply – Out of Office

Thank you for reaching out. I am currently out of the office from [Start Date] to [End Date] and will not be checking emails during this time.

If your request is urgent, please contact [Alternative Contact] at [Alternative Email]. Otherwise, I will respond as soon as possible upon my return.

Best regards, [Your Name]

Note:

Out-of-office replies often include key PDFs—project timelines, handover notes, and policy details—to guide colleagues and clients. Tenorshare PDNob streamlines this process by letting you quickly edit, encrypt, merge, and manage PDFs for seamless handovers.

downloads :

PDNob PDF Editor Software- Smarter, Faster, Easier

rated on Trustpilot >

• Instantly read, summarize, and extract insights from PDF
• Convert PDF to 30+ formats like Word, Excel, and images
• Edit text, images, watermarks, links, and backgrounds for PDF
• 99% OCR precision for making scanned PDFs editable and searchable

Part 3. Simple & Short Out of Office Messages Examples

Crafting a clear and professional out-of-office email makes sure smooth communication while you’re away. Below are three concise out of office email message sample tailored for different scenarios.

1. One-Day Absence (For Short-Term Leave)

Subject: Out of Office – Returning [Date]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out. I am currently out of the office for the day and will return on [Date]. I will do my best to respond to your email as soon as I’m back.

If your request is urgent, please contact [Alternative Contact Name] at [Email/Phone] for assistance.

Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Company]

2. Minimal Template (For General Use)

Subject: Out of Office – Limited Access to Email

Hello,

I appreciate your message. I am currently out of the office and may have limited access to my emails. I will review and respond to your message as soon as I return.

For urgent inquiries, please contact [Alternative Contact Name] at [Email/Phone].

Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Company]

3. Teams Auto-Reply (For Internal Notifications)

Subject:Automatic Reply – Out of Office

Hello,

I am currently away from my desk and may not be able to respond immediately. However, I will check my messages periodically and get back to you as soon as possible.

If your request requires urgent attention, please reach out to [Alternative Contact Name] at [Email/Phone].

Thank you for your patience.

Best, [Your Name] [Your Department] [Your Company]

Part 4. Out of Office Reply Examples for Specific Scenarios

An sample out of office email guarantees professional communication when you are not available. The following are thorough examples for various scenarios to help you maintain clarity and efficiency in your responses.

1. Vacation Template (For Personal Leave)

Subject: Out of Office – On Vacation Until [Return Date]

Hello,

Thank you for your email. I am currently on vacation and will be away from the office until [Return Date]. During this time, I will have limited or no access to email.

For immediate assistance, please contact [Alternative Contact Name] at [Email/Phone]. Otherwise, I will respond to your message as soon as possible after my return.

Thank you for your patience!

Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Company]

2. Business Travel (For Work-Related Travel)

Subject: Out of Office – On Business Travel Until [Return Date]

Hello,

I am currently out of the office on business travel from [Start Date] to [Return Date] and may have limited access to email. I will respond as soon as I can, but there may be a delay.

For urgent matters, please reach out to [Alternative Contact Name] at [Email/Phone]. Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Company]

3. Parental Leave (For Extended Leave)

Subject: Out of Office – On Parental Leave Until [Return Date]

Hello,

I am currently on parental leave and will be out of the office until [Return Date]. During this time, I will not be checking emails regularly.

For assistance, please contact [Alternative Contact Name] at [Email/Phone], who will be happy to help in my absence.

If your request is not urgent, I will get back to you upon my return. Thank you for your patience!

Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Company]

Tenorshare PDNob – Smarter, Faster, and Easier PDF Editor

As you set up your out-of-office auto-response, consider streamlining your workflow with Tenorshare PDNob—a fast, user-friendly tool that keeps your PDFs perfectly organized, even when you're away.

Buy Now Buy Now

Buy Safely

Part 5. Funny Out of Office Message Examples

A out of office email message sample can make your absence more remembered while remaining cheerful. Here are some entertaining and interesting automated responses for various occasions.

1. Vacation Mode

Subject: Out of Office – Probably on a Beach Somewhere

Hello,

I’m currently out of the office, soaking up the sun, sipping on something cold, and pretending work emails don’t exist. If your email is urgent, I recommend taking a deep breath, grabbing a snack, and trying again when I’m back on [Return Date].

If you really need help, you can reach [Alternative Contact Name] at [Email/Phone]. Just be nice—they didn’t get a vacation.

See you soon!

Best, [Your Name]

2. Business Trip

Subject: Out of Office – On a Secret Mission

Greetings,

I’m currently away on a top-secret mission (also known as a business trip). While I’d love to respond, my schedule is packed with meetings, coffee, and pretending to understand PowerPoint presentations.

If it’s an emergency, contact [Alternative Contact Name] at [Email/Phone]. If it can wait, I’ll get back to you once I’ve successfully saved the world… or at least my inbox.

Stay awesome, [Your Name]

3. Parental Leave

Subject: Out of Office – Currently Negotiating with a Toddler

Hi there,

I’m currently on parental leave, which means my days are filled with important negotiations like “please eat your vegetables” and “why can’t we have cookies for breakfast?”

If your email is urgent, please contact [Alternative Contact Name] at [Email/Phone]. Otherwise, I’ll respond when I’m back, likely covered in baby food but happy to help.

Wish me luck!

Best, [Your Name]

Part 6. How to Set Up Out of Reply in Outlook & Gmail

When you are away from work, setting up an Out of Office (OOO) message notifies colleagues, clients, and partners that you are unreachable. The following are step-by-step instructions for configuring auto-replies in Outlook and Gmail.

Outlook Steps:

• For Outlook on the Web (Microsoft 365 & Outlook.com)
• Log in to your Outlook account.
• Click on the Settings icon in the top-right corner.

• Select “View all Outlook settings.” Go to Mail > Automatic Replies. Toggle “Turn on automatic replies.”

• (Optional) Check “Send replies only during a time period” and set the start and end dates.
• Type your Out of Office message in the provided box.

(Optional) Enable automatic replies for external contacts and choose between “Only my contacts” or “Anyone outside my organization.” Click “Save” to activate the auto-reply.

For Outlook Mobile App (iOS & Android)

• Open the Outlook app.
• Tap your profile picture or the Outlook logo in the top left.
• Select “Settings”. Tap your email account.
• Select “Automatic replies.”
• Toggle “Automatic replies” to ON. (Optional) Set a start and end date.
• Type your Out of Office message. Tap (checkmark) or “Save” to confirm.

Gmail Setup

• Log in to Gmail. Click on the Settings icon in the top-right corner.
• Select “See all settings.” Scroll down to the "Vacation Responder" section.

• Click “Vacation responder on.” Set the start date and (optional) end date.

• Enter a subject line (e.g., "Out of Office – Back on [Date]"). Type your Out of Office message.
• (Optional) Check “Send responses only to people in my Contacts” to limit replies. Click “Save Changes” to activate.

For Gmail Mobile App (iOS & Android)

• Open the Gmail app. Tap the Menu icon in the top-left corner.
• Scroll down and select “Settings.” Choose your email account.
• Tap “Vacation responder.” Toggle “Vacation responder on.”
• Set the start and end dates (optional). Enter your subject line and message. Tap “Save.”

Conclusion:

Setting up an automatic out of office message in Outlook or Gmail ensures that your contacts receive a professional response while you're away. If you're looking for out of office message examples, there are plenty of templates available to craft the perfect reply.

While managing emails is important, handling documents efficiently is just as crucial. That’s where Tenorshare PDNob comes in. With its powerful editing, converting, and annotation tools, you can effortlessly modify PDFs, add signatures, and organize files with ease.

downloads :

PDNob PDF Editor Software- Smarter, Faster, Easier

rated on Trustpilot >

• Instantly read, summarize, and extract insights from PDF
• Convert PDF to 30+ formats like Word, Excel, and images
• Edit text, images, watermarks, links, and backgrounds for PDF
• 99% OCR precision for making scanned PDFs editable and searchable

Speak Your Mind

Speak Your Mind

Related articles

• How to Save Web Page as PDF – Best Methods for Any Device
• Dzine AI – Create Studio Ghibli Art Free
• 5 Free Ghibli AI Generator: Make Studio Art in 1 Click

All topics